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to even

to even

22 2.5
To make something level or smooth
  • verb
  • /ˈiːvən/
translation icon : nivelar
  • First things first, let's even the playing field.

So can this odd number of cores even the odds against ARM?

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Examples

  • After a minute, the tires gained traction, the sound evened out, and taillights disappeared in the thickening snow.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • I'll give you a chance to even the score.

  • Just decide even it up a little bit, please.

  • Just trying to even the game.

  • We need to come up with a way to even out the workflow.

  • But John had once saved Tonto's life, so this evened up the score.

  • Dams built in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq have, unfortunately, evened out the flow.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The carpenter used a tool to even the surface of the table before applying the finish.

  • It took hours to even the soil in the garden, ensuring a flat area to plant the flowers.

  • Before laying down the tiles, he made sure to even the floor to avoid any bumps.

Synonyms

to level
vsto even
81 3.7

To make land or a building flat with the ground

covers making surfaces flat but not the demolition sense
to flatten
vsto even
23 2.6

Make something flat and smooth by pressing it

covers any way to make surfaces flat or straight
to even out
vsto even
18 3.4

To make a surface, amount, or relationship level by removing differences

is mainly about physical smoothing of surfaces
to flatten out
vsto even
5 3.4

To become flat and smooth after being uneven

is the general action to make surfaces flat or straight
to even up
vsto even
3 5.3

To make the edges of a pile of papers level and straight

focuses on general smoothing or straightening rather than neat stacking
to flush
vsto even
3 6.1

To make one surface level with another

is more general, not limited to matching two surfaces together
to true
vsto even
  • Specialized
1 8.4

To make something exactly straight or level

is similar but allows less precise or rough making flat actions
to square up
vsto even
1 4.1

Make the edges and corners even and straight

focuses on general making surfaces flat rather than creating right angles
3.6

To make the ground flat for building or planting

is the general act of smoothing or straightening any surface

Idioms

253 3.2

At the same moment that something else happens

149 3.5

Shows that something happens or is true despite what was said

63 1.3

In any way, even the smallest amount

getting even
  • Informal
7 7.4

To try to hurt someone because they hurt you

In a steady, calm state and working smoothly

1 9.9

So flawed and unclear that people cannot decide if it is true or false

Phrasal Verbs

to get even
  • Informal
46 5.4

To do something to hurt someone because they hurt you

27 3.3

Earn enough to cover all costs with no profit or loss

18 3.4

To make a surface, amount, or relationship level by removing differences

3 5.3

To make the edges of a pile of papers level and straight

2 4.1

To make two things equal or fair by adjusting what is different

1 4.2

Make your score or position the same as another person

To have fun with more energy after working hard

Compounds

10 1.0

A whole number you can split into two equal parts

even keel
  • Informal
5 5.3

A calm, steady state after a time of trouble

5 4.4

An equal chance of either result, like a fifty-fifty bet

1 3.0

An arrangement where the spaces between things are equal, like letters or plants

even-pinnate
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf with leaflets in pairs along the stem and no single leaflet at the tip

even-pinnate leaf
  • Specialized
7.5

A leaf with pairs of leaflets along a central stem and no single leaflet at the tip

Having a smooth, regular surface without bumps or rough spots

even-toed ungulate
  • Specialized
9.3

A mammal with hooves that walks on an even number of toes, like cows or deer

even-toed
  • Specialized
8.4

A mammal with an even number of toes on each foot, like a cow or a deer

odd-even check
  • Specialized
6.7

A way to find errors in data by checking whether the number of ones is odd or even

How Level

to flatten
23 2.6
to even
22 2.5
to level
81 3.7
to scrape
62 1.2

Surface Forms

even infinitive
evened past
evened past participle
evening present participle
evens third person singular

Etymology

Even comes from the old English root efen, meaning 'level', and the adjective later became a verb meaning 'to make level'. So to even a wall or the soil is to smooth it and make it flat or equal.